Demise of the Vixen
by FMANaruto
Summary: After the climactic battle at the Valley of the End, Naruto awakens with the Kyuubi...gone! What will happen now?
1. Prologue: Demise of the Vixen

Prologue: The Demise of the Vixen

A screech of chakra scraping metal as the symbol that was once displayed proudly is defaced. A sickening crunch as a chakra encased hand breaks through a ribcage. The conclusion of a battle between former friends.

Looking around her surroundings, she thinks to herself, **_'I don't have much time left…'_** She knew she couldn't survive this time. **_'It's been an interesting dozen of years…'_** she mused. **_'It is unfortunate it has to end. You'll owe it to me to carry on my legacy, gaki.'_**

With those last thoughts, the infamous Kyuubi no Kitsune used all her chakra to flood the gates holding her in. In one last burst of energy, the seals burst and the chakra flooded the host.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke stood over Naruto in the Valley of the End. The youngest living Uchiha knelt beside his blonde rival. "I have to go. I need to avenge my family, Naruto. You'll hate me for this, but I hope you will understand my reasons one day."

As he stood to go, Sasuke heard a faint reply. "P-promise you won't… become… Orochimaru's slave… ne, Sa-Sasuke…-teme…" uttered Naruto, between coughs.

Surprised, Sasuke smiled, "I promise. Arigatou, Naruto."

With this final bid of farewell, the raven haired avenger took off for the Sound Village. However, not 5 minutes after his departure, he felt a tremendous surge in a familiar chakra. _'Naruto…'

* * *

_


	2. The Coma

1) The Coma

"Tsunade-sama!" called Shizune. "The ritual was a success. Hyuuga Neji will fully recover. Akamichi Chouji will also recover, but it will take him around 3 months before he can go on any mission higher than D rank. Inuzuka Kiba will recover in a week. Nara Shikamaru is physically completely healed but psychologically, he needs some time to cope with the stress of his first mission as the leader. Rock Lee still needs to rest from his surgery and his fight with the sound nin opened up some of the wounds in his arm. Aside from that, he will recover within the month." reported the attendant. "The Sand shinobi who aided in the mission are pretty much unharmed and have been given permission to stay in Konoha. Suna wants to keep the peace between the our two villages."

"What about Naruto?" asked an anxious Tsunade.

"He… is in a coma. We don't know how long it will last and there is one more thing… his umm… tenant has disappeared…" answered Shizune.

In her mind, Tsunade remembered her other two precious people. _'Please wake up, Naruto.'

* * *

_

_'What happened…?'_ thought Naruto. Sitting up in his mindscape, he found himself in the dank corridors he often traveled when the kitsune called or he needed the kitsune. However, something was wrong. He could feel the wrongness of the area. _'I don't feel its power...'_

Traveling further into the humid passageway, he turned into the chamber the hosts his tenant. Shocked, he found only an empty cage. Inside the cage, he saw a crate and a vial of a fiery red substance. Naruto carefully approached the sealed off area. "Oi! Baka-kitsune!"

However, all that he heard was the echo of his own voice. As the ruckus died down, Naruto used his signature jutsu and sent a handful of clones through from between the bars to investigate the contents of the cage. However, at the report that there's nothing except for the two objects, he ventured in himself. Squeezing in himself, he approached the two things. He looked from one to the other and decided that it would probably be safer opening the crate, as unknown substances tend to have a volatile and, on the whole, unpleasant tendency.

He walked up to the crate and tried to open it with his hands, but it just didn't work too well. Frustrated with his unsuccessful attempts, Naruto ultimately resorted to the rasengan. Slowly, he applied his destructive ball along the edges of one side of the crate until the side fell off. To his surprise, a rush of chakra came out and covered the entire area.

When the whirlwind of energy subsided, the area looked like a library. Shelves of books and scrolls stacked in hundreds of shelves. In front of him, where the crate used to be, was a chair and table with the red vial and a letter on it. Naruto sat in the chair and read:

_To Gaki:_

_Undoubtedly you are confused as to what has happened. Your idiotic compassion for your enemy left you dying as he walked off. However, you'll be glad to know that he's acknowledged you and that I have saved you at the expense of my life. Glad to be rid of me huh? Well, too bad. I'm not through with you yet!_

_Using an ancient ritual, you are now honor bound to do one request for me. And that, is to become my legacy! This library is all the knowledge that I've accumulated in my life. As a puny mortal, I know you will never be able to learn all that I've gathered over the millennia, nor will you ever be as powerful as I. However, you will leave your mark in the world and I will be noted in history. In your short lifetime, I've exhausted all possibilities of escape and this is the next best thing._

_Undoubtedly, you've noticed by now that the letter is burning itself away. By the time you finish these last few words, the letter will fully incinerate and my existence shall truly end. My memories and experience will be stored in your mind, but only the most important aspects of my life will be known to your consciousness. Even so, you will be in a coma for a year. Choose your style of combat and become legendary in my name! Idaten no Kitune!_

Reading those last words, the letter completely combusted, leaving nothing but ashes. Immediately, another surge of power is felt and the vial of red fluid burst, showering Naruto with broken glass. Through his new cuts, the red fluid went into his body, and Naruto's conscious mind, shut down.

* * *

At Naruto's bedside, Hyuuga Hinata was awakened from her sleep beside the person she admired most. "Hinata-niichan. Otou-sama demands your presence." said a younger girl with the same blank eyes.

"Hai…" Hinata answered. As the two girls got up and left the room, a pulse of chakra blew the room apart. Chunks of the wall knocked out both females and left them unconscious in the hall. This spike of chakra also alerted the entire hospital. In seconds, a crowd was gathered at the scene with Shizune and Tsunade at the front of the group.

The curious and more than a little fearful crowd ran into the demolished room to see the blonde kid lying in an untouched bed. As one of the more adventurous of the group attempted to get close, another wave of chakra blasted him clear out of the room. Immediately, Tsunade turned to the closes shinobi besides Shizune and yelled, "I want Jiraiya here, now!" Turning to Shizune, she said, "I want you to keep surveillance of Naruto's room and monitor any changes."

The Godaime Hokage then turned to the two unconscious Hyuuga on the floor. She gathered chakra into her palms and used a revival jutsu on the two. Upon waking up, Hinata recalled the explosion from Naruto's room and yelled, "Naruto-kun!" and dashed for the room before Tsunade could stop her. To her surprise, the normally shy girl was not blown back by the chakra. Instead, she stood beside Naruto's bed with her Byakugan active, scanning Naruto in hopes of finding out what happened. "Tsunade-sama! Naruto-kun's chakra is strange… his chakra pathways are filled half by his own chakra and half by a foreign chakra… but it seems to be in harmony. What's happening to him?" asked Hinata, fearfully.

Seeing that Hinata was allowed through the barrier, Tsunade ventured closer. She got to the blonde's bedside and tried to analyze what's happening with a diagnosis jutsu but Naruto's chakra barrier wouldn't let her chakra through. She asked Hinata, "what happened here?"

"Ano… Godaime-sama, I was just leaving Naruto's room when it exploded and I was knocked unconscious by a large piece of plaster. I-is Na-Naruto-kun going to be ok?" answered Hinata, worry evident on her face.

"I don't know. There seems to be a chakra barrier around Naruto that the two of us can walk through but it won't let me use any medical jutsus on him. I don't know what's wrong but I promise I'll do all I can to save him." answered Tsunade. "After all, he's my ototo." she finished in a silent whisper.

* * *


	3. The Naruto Situation

What was known by all of the hospital staff as "The Naruto Situation" didn't get better. Months passed and all of the shinobi who participated in the retrieval mission were all well and have left the hospital, but the situation didn't change for Naruto. He was still in a coma and the only people that have been able to pass through the barrier were Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi, Iruka, Hinata, Shikamaru, Neji, Rock Lee, Kiba and Akamaru, the sand siblings, Chouji and Sakura. Tsunade noticed the pattern after Shizune and Jiraiya were admitted through the barrier. Only the people who cared about him.

Everyone had settled into their own lives again with the exception of the two sennin, Kakashi, Iruka and Hinata. Tsunade blamed herself for sending a mainly gennin team against a team of skilled Jounins. Jiraiya feels mostly sorrow for another student lost that he could have saved and spent most of his time peeping to drown his sorrows, always remembering the blonde kid who always ruined his expeditions. Kakashi blames himself for not being able to save Sasuke and consequently losing Naruto as well. Iruka and Hinata are just terribly sad.

Saddened by the loss of Naruto, Hinata gathered up her courage and asked Tsunade to be her sensei. When she was asked why, she blushed and stuttered out, "I-I want to become a g-good medic nin s-so I can save Na-Naruto-kun."

Tsunade smiled at her and agreed to teach her all about medical jutsus. At their first lesson, Tsunade found that the young Hyuuga heiress had a talent for medical jutsus and with her Byakugan, she was able to pick up the details and figure out exactly how the chakra pattern is woven. As a result, she learned at a faster rate than Shizune had when she first started.

The last member of team 7 was switched into Kurenai's team 8. Under the tutelage of a genjutsu specialist, Sakura's talent for that area was quickly discovered and put to good use. However, as everyone returned to their lives, they never forgot the loud blonde that brightened their lives. Every week, all of those who were allowed through the barrier would have lunch there in the demolished room that Naruto slept in. There, they would talk about the old pranks the fallen blonde was famous for, like the painting of the Hokage monument.

* * *

It was that day of the week again and Shikamaru sat up from his cloud gazing to go to the hospital and pay tribute to the blonde. It was one of the few things he did that wasn't troublesome. _'It's been one whole year since the incident. Everyone's a chuunin now and Neji has become a special jounin. The Sand siblings have become permanent residents of Konoha as a sign of peace. Gaara had become a jounin and the other two are chuunins too. I can't believe it has been a year already… a year since the retrieval mission failed.'_ Thought Shikamaru, as he shuffled towards the hospital.

He suddenly felt a huge chakra signature from the direction of the hospital. Instantly, Shikamaru ran at top speed towards the hospital. _'Kuso! Another assassination attempt! Why are all those people after Naruto? This is the 14th assassination attempt in the past year! What is going on!'_

When he arrived on the scene, he found nothing unusual except the widening of the whole in outer wall. He jumped up to the window and saw that nothing was there. "Hmm… what happened to the assassin?"

"What assassin?" came the answer.

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Shikamaru whirled around to see Naruto sitting up in his bed looking right back at him. "Na-Naruto! You're alive!" stuttered a shocked Shikamaru.

"Yeah. As alive as one can be after being in a year long coma. I'm going to go get some ramen at the Ichiraku. Could you stay and tell everyone else to go there?" said Naruto.

"No need. We're all here." came a voice muffled by a mask.

"Kakashi-sensei! Good to actually see you."

"What do you mean?" asked Tsunade.

"I've been somewhat conscious of what's going on from that coma. The chakra barrier was raised by Kyuubi so that I could train undisturbed by would be assassins." Started Naruto. Seeing the confused faces of his friends, he decided he would explain from the top. "Ok. Let me explain from the beginning. And don't interrupt until I'm done or I'll forget what I was talking about. Anyways, Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked the village the day I was born. Yondaime-sama was unable to physically kill it but he sacrificed his soul to the death god who, in return, sealed the Kyuubi into a kawaii new born kid by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. In the last fight in the Valley of the End, Sasuke inflicted too much damage to my body and I was dying. Kyuubi, knowing she couldn't escape the seal, did the next best thing. She used an ancient ritual to bind me to her dying request when she died to save me. And her request was for me to become famous in the shinobi world and for her to have a legacy. And so, when I woke up in my mind, I found the fox gone and in place of her, a whole library of stuff with letter telling me what she did and a book list to study. So after training for 3 years in my mind, I wake up having only slept for one year in the real world. That's the short version of it. Any questions?"

As the group stared blank faced at the blonde, there was silence. "Kyuubi's a she?" asked Kiba. As the group minus Gaara picked themselves up from a facefault at the stupid question, Naruto answered, "yeah. From the reading list, the scroll that explained her attacking Konoha was rather lame. It seems that female foxes, no matter how omnipotent, are susceptible to mind warping genjutsu when they're PMSing."

Again, as his audience picked themselves up from a facefault, with the exception of Gaara who just had a twitching nerve right over the kanji above his eye, Naruto chuckled. It was soothing for those around him to hear the long absent sound. "Ok. That will do for an explanation for now, but as the Hokage, I need to hear every detail of the 3 mental years in your head. But you can do that after a trip to the Ichiraku Ramen Stand. I bet the old man misses his best customer." said Tsunade with a wink.

"I don't mind sharing what happened. If you guys want to come too, you're certainly welcome to. I mean, you're the only people that cared if I lived or died over the past year." Naruto said with a sad smile.

* * *

Moments later found the entire gang, minus the adults at Ichiraku Ramen. An eating contest had sprung up between Chouji and Naruto. In the end, Naruto lost by one bowl of miso ramen. Seeing the time, Naruto said he had to go see Tsunade. Surprised, the entire gang got up and walked with him. Seeing this, Naruto smiled. _'As long as I have my precious people, I can live with the hatred of the rest.'

* * *

_


	4. Reviewer responses

Author Notes!

Ok. I've decided to use this to reply to reviewers and delete it every time I have a new chapter ok?

On to the reviews.

I've had some people tell me that it was very rushed. Please tell me why. One person said that it was cuz was very casual so it felt rushed. I meant it to be a little summary of what happened over the year.

Another point I've recieved was that y did the rookie 9 and sand siblings care for naruto? Well, first, it wasn't all of hte 9. No Shino, Tenten or Ino. I only put in the people on his team during the retrieval mission plus Hinata and Sakura. The Sand siblings care because Gaara owes Naruto for his part in helping him see a better purpose in life than kill everything that he could and sees him as a friend. His siblings are grateful for that and also see him as a friend. Shino, Tenten and Ino don't know Naruto at all so they are not included. As for the Konohamaru Corps. they didn't visit at all since Naruto's condition shouldn't be known to them. They are still in the academy afterall. (actually I just forgot them but hopefully that justifies it)

Last thing, I didn't draw out Naruto's waking up because he wasn't really in a coma. It was just an induced coma for him to train in made by the Kyuubi. When it is supposed to end, it ends. He just sits up as though he just woke up. And after a year long fast, I think Naruto would be ramen deprived so he would want to go eat first. And he told the rest about the Kyuubi since they've known him for so long and know what he's like. As I said, he matured over the 3 mental years. He knows who he can trust. He's just still clueless about girls...


End file.
